Minor League Signings Round-Up

[Matt Braun]

There's a good chance that at least one of these players will find time on the Twins next season; read about what they can bring to the table.

Image courtesy of Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

 

Here we are in mid-December. The Rule 5 draft has passed, and reports over the past week have shown the the Twins have made some minor-league signings. Here are some notes on those who have signed to this point, at least the ones that we have heard. No one gets overly excited about minor-league signings, but as we have seen in recent years, injuries and Covid have forced the Twins to play a lot of players. So these are not meaningless signings. 

C-Jair Camargo
The one returning player to re-sign with the Twins. Camargo came to the organization in the Kenta Maeda/Brusdar Graterol trade before the 2020 season. Camargo split his season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. He is a good athlete with a strong arm. He doesn't like to walk, and he has some swing-and-miss, but he has shown a lot of power

1B/DH-Tyler White
Tyler White's name may ring a tiny bell; the first baseman collected over 800 plate appearances for the Houston Astros between 2016 and 2019, earning a World Series ring while slashing .241/.319/.420. White’s MLB career peaked with an excellent 2018 campaign where he collected 1.7 fWAR over 66 games, buoying his career total of 1.2.

After a trade to the Dodgers in 2019, the Western Carolina University product failed to recapture his previous magic, bouncing between the KBO and three minor league systems in his search for a home. The 32-year-old White is your prototypical minor league free agent, but he did own a .900 OPS with Buffalo in 2021, perhaps hinting that his best baseball is not yet gone. 

RHP-José De León
Finally, The Twins have acquired José De León. A crucial part of the Great Brian Dozier Trade Talks of 2016, De León is now, unfortunately, the tale of a pitching prospect gone awry. De León owns 48 MLB innings scattered across five seasons; his 18 1/3 frames in 2021 represent his highest single-season total.

The culprit? Injuries. The Southern University product often endures extended bouts without time on the mound, never coming close to hitting his career high in innings set between A+ and AA in 2015 (114 ⅓.) De León’s stuff is good, so if he remains on the mound, he could boost a pitching staff always needing an extra jolt. 

RHP-Carlos Luna
The Panamian native, Carlos Luna, crosses the border, trekking from Milwaukee’s system to Minnesota’s. Luna joined the Brewers as a 17-year-old, pitching deep in the recesses of Rookie Ball in 2014 and 2015 before missing all of 2016 and 2017 with (presumably) an injury. The 26-year-old stayed knocking on the door, putting up adequate numbers just shy of worthy of a cup of coffee; he pitched 109 1/3 innings at AA last season.

Luna’s baseball peak occurred when he netted the final 12 outs of a combined no-hitter in 2021.

RHP-Patrick Murphy
A member of the Blue Jays and Nationals organizations, Patrick Murphy tossed 39 2/3 middling innings in the majors—mostly in 2021—and looks to start fresh with the Twins. Murphy owns a 96 MPH fastball, which renders any more analysis unnecessary. 

It’s unlikely that Murphy will suddenly learn command, but minor-league deals are pure upside moves by nature, so if he does, then the Twins can reap the rewards of an effective multi-inning reliever. Murphy punched out 26.1% of batters at AAA last season.

 

 

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[Whitey333]

Wow.  I'm all excited.  Not sure about the rest of you lol. Typical Twins garbage signings.  I'm sure some may play for Twins at some point this year.  Why would we expect anything different?

[Doctor Gast]

Not too excited about any of them. Not really quality depth in where we need it. De Leon looks pretty good if he stays healthy same with Murphy if he finds control.

[mikelink45]

I think of the prospects gone and this list is not going to be good replacements.  I am glad to see the pitchers with the standard health report of all Twin signing. 

[old nurse]

Every year teams sign players to fill out the AAA roster. Nothing to get excited about, which rarely happens. No reason for anyone to complain, yet ……..

[Otaknam]

DeLeon might have a chance, as he was a highly touted prospect at one time. Otherwise it’s just roster filler for the minor league teams. 

[BSLinPA]

Furthering the confusion, this report examines the upside to the Jair Carmago (C) resigning......but features the image of Johan Carmago (SS) applying a tag at 2B during his time up with the Phillies.  Did i miss the final verdict on this?

MLB, MiLB, CBS and others continue to report Johan, as does the St Paul Saints roster showing him assigned #17.

Other than Aaron Gleeman's report, i can find nothing to verify Jair has resigned.  Last entry in various Transactions pages for Jair is "assigned to Tigres del Licey" for winter ball.

Actually, i hope the Twins signed both; nothing earthshattering, but reasonable minor league depth at positions of need. Jair is 23 yrs old, while Johan is 29.

 

[Rosterman]

Yeah, I',m confused about Jair. A catching prospect the Twins should have under a minor league contract, considering their overall depth. But I'm not seeing it as official, compared to the aging guy listed on the Saints roster as an infielder.

[jmlease1]

all reasonable minor-league signings. We don't have a lot of 1B depth, so White makes some sense as an injury hedge in case he has one more burst left in him. De Leon & Luna are lottery tickets, but why not? Carmago looks like the classic "sign a guy to be the AAA catcher in case you need the depth". Every team should make that move and you will lose your mind if you get caught out on the one year where the team didn't add that guy.

Doesn't look like anyone is being promised anything significant, so it's fine.

[roger]

These signings are always interesting.  And all teams sign guys like this to fill out AA and AAA rosters.  Every once in a while, lightening strikes and one contributes to the big league club.

Most interesting to me was De Leon.  I believe he was the untouchable prospect when the Twins were talking about trading Dozier to the Dodgers.  Believe a lot of people, here and elsewhere, were very high on this kid at that time.  Didn't he eventually get traded to, was it Tampa?  Good example that you just never know what a prospect is going to do.  

[Seth Stohs]

2 hours ago, BSLinPA said:

Furthering the confusion, this report examines the upside to the Jair Carmago (C) resigning......but features the image of Johan Carmago (SS) applying a tag at 2B during his time up with the Phillies.  Did i miss the final verdict on this?

MLB, MiLB, CBS and others continue to report Johan, as does the St Paul Saints roster showing him assigned #17.

Other than Aaron Gleeman's report, i can find nothing to verify Jair has resigned.  Last entry in various Transactions pages for Jair is "assigned to Tigres del Licey" for winter ball.

Actually, i hope the Twins signed both; nothing earthshattering, but reasonable minor league depth at positions of need. Jair is 23 yrs old, while Johan is 29.

 

It's always been Jair Camargo. Never was Johan Camargo, no matter what the MLB transactions page says. 

I can verify that it was Jair. 

[Seth Stohs]

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

Wow.  I'm all excited.  Not sure about the rest of you lol. Typical Twins garbage signings.  I'm sure some may play for Twins at some point this year.  Why would we expect anything different?

So, I've been tracking where free agents have signed, including minor league signings (cuz I'm just that cool)... the teams that have been signing the most minor-league deals this offseason are the Yankees and Dodgers. The Mets have signed a bunch. I would say the Twins have signed much fewer than most at this point... 

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Seth Stohs said:

So, I've been tracking where free agents have signed, including minor league signings (cuz I'm just that cool)... the teams that have been signing the most minor-league deals this offseason are the Yankees and Dodgers. The Mets have signed a bunch. I would say the Twins have signed much fewer than most at this point... 

Well then the Twins better get cracking and catch up with the top teams!

Yeah, I resist my usual snarky impulse to pull out the "We Got Him" gif, because every team makes these signings.  It's interesting to read about the players and their strengths, but honestly if any of them makes a contribution it will probably be some kind of beacon of success in a sea of wreckage for the season.

[Rosterman]

The Twins also signed ARMANI SMITH, a corner outfielder with some first abse experience. Right-handed hitter. Only 24 with a bit of pop and some speed.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=smith-002arm

[FlyingFinn]

Camargo is the guy I like. He will be in AAA all year just because they don't want him to be the catcher who keeps going up and down between the Twins and Saints when a third catcher is needed, like with Godoy and Hamilton this past season. If Camargo does well and Jeffers doesn't, we could see Camargo on the Twins in 2024.